There are several reasons why someone might want to delete all their personal files but keep Windows 10 intact on their computer, including:
Before wiping your data, it’s critical to back up any important files or information you want to keep. Once deleted, files and data are typically gone for good.
Reasons to delete files but keep Windows 10:
- Preparing to sell or give away your computer – You may want to remove all personal files for privacy.
- Fixing performance issues – Deleting files can free up storage space and improve speed.
- Removing viruses or malware – Wiping all files can eliminate infected data.
- Starting fresh – Clearing everything allows a clean install of programs and apps.
The steps below will walk through how to delete all personal files while keeping Windows 10 intact. This removes documents, photos, downloads, music, and other user-created data. It does not delete installed programs or Windows system files.
Back Up Important Data
Before deleting any files on your Windows 10 computer, it’s crucial to back up important data first. As Database Backups 101: When to Delete Your Backups points out, “Data backups are important for recovery, therefore (despite limited storage) avoid deleting all backups.” You don’t want to accidentally delete files you still need.
Make sure to copy important documents, photos, downloads, and other irreplaceable files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Services like Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, and Carbonite can securely store backups offsite. As explained on Why is computer data backup important?, “You can then use the backup copy to restore the original data if a data loss event occurs.”
Ideally, keep at least two recent backups of critical data before proceeding. Emphasize backing up personal files, documents, media, downloads, and anything else you may want later. While storage space is limited, avoid deleting all backups if possible.
Empty the Recycle Bin
The easiest way to delete all files on Windows 10 without uninstalling the operating system is to empty the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin holds any files or folders you have deleted until it is emptied.
To empty the Recycle Bin in Windows 10:
- Open the Recycle Bin – you can find the icon on your desktop, in File Explorer, or search for it.
- Right click on the Recycle Bin icon and select “Empty Recycle Bin” from the menu.
- A prompt will appear asking you to confirm – click “Yes” to permanently delete all items.
Emptying the Recycle Bin will permanently delete any files or folders inside it, freeing up disk space. However, it will not delete any applications or system files that are part of Windows 10 itself (Microsoft).
Use Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is a built-in utility in Windows that helps free up disk space by deleting unnecessary and temporary files. According to Microsoft, Disk Cleanup identifies files that can be safely deleted, allowing you to free up space by getting rid of files that aren’t needed (source).
To use Disk Cleanup on Windows 10:
- Type “disk cleanup” in the Windows search bar and select Disk Cleanup from the results.
- Select the drive you want to clean up, usually your C: drive.
- Disk Cleanup will scan the drive and show you a list of files that can be deleted.
- Check the box next to any file categories you want to delete.
- Click “OK” and then “Delete Files” to permanently delete the selected files.
Some of the main file categories that Disk Cleanup targets include temporary files, thumbnails, and the recycle bin. It’s recommended to run Disk Cleanup regularly to keep your hard drive running smoothly.
Clear Temporary Files
Windows stores various temporary files that accumulate over time and take up disk space. These include internet cache and history files, temporary installation files, and other miscellaneous temporary data. You can clear out these files to free up storage space.
To delete browser cache and temporary internet files in Windows 10, open Control Panel > Internet Options. Under the General tab, click “Delete…” under Browsing history. Select the checkbox for Temporary Internet Files and website files, then click Delete. You can also set the browser to always delete temporary files on exit by selecting “Delete browsing history on exit” in the settings.
Another easy way to delete temporary files is by using the %temp% environment variable. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type in %temp%, then press Enter. This will open your Temp folder. You can delete the contents of this folder to remove temporary files, being careful not to delete the folder itself.
The Windows Disk Cleanup utility is another useful tool for removing temporary files. Search for Disk Cleanup, select it, then choose the checkbox for Temporary Files when prompted. This will sweep out temporary installation files, Windows update files, and other miscellaneous temporary data.
Regularly clearing temporary files helps keep your system running smoothly by freeing up storage space and removing unnecessary clutter. However, be careful not to delete any temp files currently in use by active programs.
Delete Downloads Folder
The downloads folder on Windows contains all files that have been downloaded from the internet using browsers like Chrome or Edge. To delete the downloads folder and remove all downloaded files, follow these steps:
Open File Explorer by typing “File Explorer” in the Windows search bar or taskbar and selecting the application.[1] Navigate to the sidebar and select “Downloads”. This will open the downloads folder.
Right click anywhere in the downloads folder window. Select “Clear Downloads” from the context menu. This will delete all files in the downloads folder.[2]
The downloads folder will now be empty. All downloaded internet files have been removed. Note that this only deletes the files – any associated browser history or cache records will remain unless also cleared from the browser settings.
You can also enable the “Clear downloads folder when device storage space is low” option in Windows Settings > Storage to have Windows automatically clear the downloads folder when your hard drive space becomes limited.[3]
Remove User Files
Another way to free up disk space is by deleting user files and folders associated with a particular user account. This includes folders like Documents, Pictures, Downloads, Desktop etc. that contain that user’s personal files.
To delete user files and folders, first login to Windows 10 with an administrator account. Then open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users. Here you will see folders for each user account on the system.
Go inside the user folder you want to delete files from and select the folders like Documents, Pictures, Downloads that you want to remove. After selecting them, simply press the Delete key on your keyboard. This will send the folders to the Recycle Bin.
If you want to bypass the Recycle Bin, press Shift + Delete instead to permanently erase the user files and folders. However do this carefully as deleted files cannot be recovered.
According to Microsoft, deleting the user profile folder directly can cause issues, so it’s better to delete files inside user folders instead (Source).
Once done, empty the Recycle Bin again to free up the disk space.
Use Third Party Tools
For a more robust way to permanently delete all files and erase all data on your Windows 10 computer, using third party tools designed for this purpose is recommended. Here are some trusted options:
BitRaser File Eraser (https://www.stellarinfo.com/article/best-file-eraser-software.php) – Overwrites the data 7 times to prevent recovery and ensure permanent deletion. Can wipe entire drives.
Eraser (https://www.digitalcitizen.life/which-are-best-file-erasers-comparing-5-most-popular-file-shredders/) – Open source tool that can delete individual files or folders as well as wipe unused disk space.
CCleaner (https://www.ccleaner.com/) – Feature-rich application with a Secure File Deletion tool to permanently erase files.
These specialized programs offer more options and better ensure complete data deletion than using standard Windows tools. Research them to pick the one that best fits your needs.
Double Check Results
After deleting files using the various methods outlined, it’s crucial to verify that files have indeed been removed while Windows itself remains intact. To confirm, open File Explorer and navigate to locations where you typically stored files, such as the Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, Music, and Desktop folders. These should now appear empty if the deletion process was successful.
You can also click on the Windows logo and type “Disk Management” to open the Disk Management utility. This will display all disks and volumes on your system. Check that the volume where Windows is installed still shows the expected capacity and has an intact file system. If you deleted files from secondary disks, confirm those disks still appear in Disk Management without errors.
Finally, reboot your PC and verify that Windows loads up normally without any errors or prompts about missing files. Check the desktop and other folders again after rebooting to confirm they show as empty. If everything appears as expected, you can be confident the deletion process removed personal files while retaining Windows system files.
Conclusion
In summary, to delete all files on Windows 10 without removing the operating system itself, you should first back up any data you want to keep, empty the Recycle Bin, use Disk Cleanup to remove temporary files, clear downloads and other user files, and use third party tools for a deep clean. Double check the results afterwards to ensure only intended files were removed. Keep in mind this is a permanent deletion, so be cautious in following these steps to avoid deleting anything you may need later.
By methodically going through these steps, you can free up significant storage space on your Windows 10 computer while keeping Windows itself intact. Just be sure to have backups in place for any personal files before proceeding. With the right preparation, deleting unneeded files can help optimize your system without disruption.